Thames Water fined for unsafe street works

Thames Water has been fined £10,000 for carrying out unsafe works on a residential street in London, following a successful prosecution from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

The litigation centred around work carried out on a pavement along Seymour Walk in July 2025.

Council street works officers who attended the small site found "serious safety failures", the authority wrote in an update on the case.

It said the site was not properly secured, and that no pedestrian provisions were in place to allow safe passage around the works. The council said it instructed Thames Water to correct the safety defects but that the firm failed to do so.

Officers returned the following day to find that workers had again failed to fully enclose the works area with a continuous barrier system, the council said.

It also reported that the footway had been closed without a safe and accessible alternative route being properly provided, and a ramp had been installed upside down, exposing its rough underside rather than the intended walking surface.

Westminster Magistrates' Court heard the case and handed down the fine on Monday (20 April).

The decision marks the fourth fine to be handed to Thames Water this year, following prosecutions from Kensington and Chelsea.

Beau Stanford-Francis, executive director of environment and neighbourhoods, said: Utility companies have a clear legal duty to ensure that works on the highway are carried out safely and responsibly. Members of public should never be placed at risk because basic safety requirements have been ignored.

“The Council expects the highest standards from companies working on our streets to minimise disruption. Where those standards are not met, we will not hesitate to take action.

“This prosecution reflects our commitment to hold companies accountable and ensure our streets remain safe for everyone."

A Thames Water spokesperson added: “Ensuring the health and safety of our customers, the local communities in which we work and our employees is our top priority. 

“We accept on this occasion our operations fell below the required standards. It is important to note we had two operatives on site at all times whenever there was a small gap in the barriers while work was carried out on the footpath to ensure there was no additional risk posed to the public.”

Adam Carey